Advertising device



Patented Apr. 1.2, 1.932

UNITED STATES JOHN GALLAGHHR, or PHILADELPHIA, rENNsYLvANIA .ADVERTISINGDEVICE Application mea January 29, 1981. serial No. 512,088.

The object of the invention is to provide improvements in advertisingdevices, and particularly in that class which comprises movable,illuminated display means. V

Another object is to provide a rotatable member, carrying a series ofadvertisements (or in fact other information if desired), and means forelectrically illuminating the advertisements of said seriesperiodically, as they are presented to view in sequence.

A. further object is to provide such a device with means to adapt such adevice to operation by the waves of the sea, and to provide forinsuringa predetermined movement of the device even when waves of butlow amplitude are available, and to limit such movement at the properpoint to insure a display of each advertisement in the desireddirection.

Vith the objects of the invention thus broadly stated, the inventioncomprises further novel details of construction and operation, which arefully brought out in the following description, when read in conjunction'25 with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevationof one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of theupper portion of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same; andFig. 4 is a 'ao detail showing the cam structure which insures theproper length of movement and position at which the display portion ofthe device shall stop following each wave impulse.

Referring to the drawings, the platform portion of a pier 1 or othersuitable fixed support is shown as being provided with a bracket 2,which serves as a pivotal support for an oscillatory member 3. To thismember 1s pivotally secured at 4 a depending rod 5, to the lower end ofwhich is secured any desired form of float 6, while a link 7 ispivotally secured both to the under side of said support at 8 and toysaid rod at 9.

Rising vertically from the upper surface of said support are two or morestandards 10, through the upper portions of which is journalled a shaft11, to which is suitably secured a cam 12, having regularly spaced,relatively abrupt depressions 13, from which the radial- .ratingcompartments in which are positioned' ly outer cam surface is abruptycurved (radi.- ally outwardly) at 14 and thence merges into andgradually through a surface section 15 towards and into the nextadjacent depression 13.. Pivotally mounted upon one ofthe standards 10is a spring-pressed lever 16, having a roller or other anti-frictionmeans 17 upon its free end, adapted to continuously engage said camsurface, and by virtue of the spring 18 tend to rotate the cam 12 intosuch position that the member y17 will always move int-o one of thedepressions 13 and atl that point cause the cam and shaft 11 to ceasero.- tating. Thereafter a slight additional movement of theshaft 11rotates the cam 12 again in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. .4,so that the anti-friction member 17 rises vup and over the nextAadjacent ab-ruptcurvature 14, after which, if the initial force appliedto said shaft ceases, the spring 18 acting against 70 the adjacent leverwill again force the member 17 radially inwardly and the cam angularly,until said member 17 has againv entered a depression 13. Thisconstruction is particularly valuable' to recommend the device forregular operation when there is only available the usual irregular forcecharacterizing the motion of the wavesof the sea, with the result thatwhether the vertical oscillations of the float .6 as caused by suchwaves are of'great or short amplitude, the illuminated advertisingdevice hereinafter de scribed will always come to rest in one. ofseveral predetermined positions.

lThe shaft 11 is additionally provided with .a ratchet wheel v19,.whichis engaged by a spring-pressed pawl 20, carried by a collar 21 rotatablymountedupon said shaft, and to Awhich is pivotally connected at 22 a-rod 23, which .connectssaideollar with -any ,desired adjustable point24 upon the oscillatory memberv 3,' said oscillatory member being pro.-vided with an adjustable weight 25which serves to counterbalance.therde'ad weight o the float 6 and supporting rods.

The advertising portion of the device'per se .comprises a star-shapedframe embodying radially extending opaque partitions k2.6, sepaelectriclamps 27, said. compartments being 10 lll closed radially outwardly bymeans of any desired form of transparent or partly transparent material28, such as giass or the like, upon which may be painted, or otherwisemapplied, letters or other advertising indicia 29, such as shown inFig. 1. Means for illuminating the lamps 27 in each of the saidcompartments independently but throughout a predetermined portion oftheir path of rotation may comprise any suitable form of commutator,such as a series of segments 30, carried by or at least rotatable withthe shaft 1l and cam l2, against which commutator segments presses abrush 3l, which is diagrammatically represented in Fig. 4 and which maybe electrically connected in any well-known manner to a source ofelectric power while the various segments 30 are similarly connected tothe lamp or series of lamps 27 in the respective compartments as shownin F ig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A display device, comprising a rotary member having compartmentsseparated from one another by opaque partitions, electric illuminatingmeans within said compartments, a pivotally mounted oscillatable member,a Hoat connected to said oscillatable mem* ber, and a ratchet and linkunit connecting said oscillatory and rotary members together, andoperative when said float rests upon sea waves to cause intermittentmovement of said first-named member.

2. A display device, comprising a rotary member, oscillatory means ofvarying amplitude to rotate said member, a cam carried by said'memberand having regularly spaced radially positioned surface portionsapproached by surfaces of radial variation, and means engaging said camand actuated by said oscillatory means, whereby movements of differentdegrees by said oscillatory means will result in uniform movements bysaid member.

3. A display device, comprising a rotary member having compartments,electric illuminating means within said compartments, means coveringsaid compartments adapted to carry indiciaand to pass light rays fromsaid first means, acam carried by said member,'means engaging said camto insure said rotary member stopping at predetermined intervals duringintermittent rotation, driving means, and a connection between saiddriving means and said rotary member.

4. A .display device, comprising a rotary member having compartments,electric illuminating means within said compartments, means coveringsaid compartments adapted to carry indicia and to pass light rays fromsaidfirst means, a cam carried by said mem ber, means engaging said camto insure said rotary member stopping at predetermined intervals duringintermittent rotation, an oscillatory member, a float carried therebyand adapted to engage sea waves, and a ratchet and link connectionbetween said last-named member and said first-named member to transmitmotion from one to the other.

5. In a device of the class described, a fixed Y support, a memberpivotally carried thereby,

a float, a link connection between said float and said member, and aradius rod connecting said float with said fixed support, to limit themotion of said tloat to a predetermined path.

6. In a device of the class described, a fixed support, a memberpivotally carried thereby, a float, a link connecting said float to saidmember, an adjustable weight carried by said member to counterbalancethe dead weight of said float, and a radius rod connecting said floatwith said Fixed support, to limit the motion of said float to apredetermined path.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

JUHN GALLAGHER.

